January 3, 2026, will go down in history as the day Venezuelans recovered something many had believed lost: hope.
That hope did not come from abstract promises, but from the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro — the first sign in decades that Venezuela may veer off the trajectory of authoritarian rule, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/700568/decade-distress-clouds-venezuela-future.aspx">economic collapse</a>, and <a href="https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/venezuela/#:~:text=About%20the%20Crisis%20in%20Venezuela&amp;text=The%20humanitarian%20crisis%20in%20Venezuela,Latin%20America%20and%20the%20Caribbean.">mass exile</a> that has defined the country for 26 years.
Despite this renewed optimism, many critics of the Trump administration have suggested the operation was somehow unethical or misguided.
Those critics miss the point entirely. Toppling Maduro has paved the way for long-term stability grounded in free-market capitalism and the rule of law to take root in Venezuela. If these forces are allowed to flourish, they will reshape the military, political, and economic structures that guide the country, and allow Venezuela to fully re-enter the global community.
It is no accident that authoritarians controlled Venezuela for as long as they did. To topple a regime from the inside, you need either a massive popular uprising or some kind of military coup. Maduro made sure both were impossible in Venezuela.
A 2013 law banned the sale of firearms and ammunition to civilians and imposes prison sentences of up to 20 years for unauthorized possession. Over the past decade, the Maduro regime aggressively <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/Latin-America-Monitor/2013/0807/Gun-control-Can-Venezuela-regulate-the-flow-of-arms">disarmed the population</a>, ensuring that ordinary citizens have no means to resist a usurping government or defend a democratic transition.
That means no uprising would succeed without the military’s involvement. Which is why in recent years Maduro expanded the Venezuelan officer corps, which reportedly boasts over <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/maduro-is-out-its-unclear-who-is-running-venezuela-2026-01-04/">2,000 generals and admirals</a> — more than double the number in the United States.
In a system saturated with generals, no single faction can act decisively without broad internal backing. Plotting a coup becomes exponentially harder when success requires the loyalty of dozens, if not hundreds, of senior figures rather than a centralized command.
And, because so many of those officers have been <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/project/revolution-to-riches/how-venezuela-bought-military-loyalty?utm_source=chatgpt.com">rewarded</a> with lucrative posts or interests in vast sectors of the economy, it would be difficult for an opposition faction or reform-minded general to rally enough support within the officer corps to mount a successful coup.
Fortunately, the fact that the Venezuelan military is more a patronage program than a fighting force allowed American forces to topple Maduro in just 88 minutes.
That was a major step in the right direction, but hardly a guarantee of future success.
Even with Maduro gone, any Venezuelan regime that hopes to endure will need the military’s buy-in. And because Maduro spent years purchasing officers’ loyalty, it won’t be easy for an opposition leader to swoop in and take control.
That’s why Maduro’s de facto vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was left in power after Maduro’s capture. Many expected opposition leader María Corina Machado — whose coalition overwhelmingly won the <a href="https://ar.usembassy.gov/assessing-the-results-of-venezuelas-presidential-election/">2024 elections</a> — to assume leadership. Instead, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/us/politics/trump-venezuela-machado.html">declined to back her</a>, arguing she lacked sufficient internal support.
Allowing Rodríguez to serve as a temporary bridge likely reduces the number of officers required to defect at once, lowering the coordination threshold needed to maintain stability. And, at a time when the American body politic is highly suspicious of “regime change” and “forever wars,” respecting this reality ostensibly diminishes the need for troops on the ground.
Moreover, immediate installation would have been politically toxic for Machado. A staunch defender of democratic rule, she must earn her mandate from Venezuelans, not appear as a foreign appointee marching into Miraflores on the heels of American troops.
If Machado is to translate political momentum into lasting change, she will need to leverage Venezuela’s greatest asset: its oil reserves. The country holds an estimated <a href="https://www.opec.org/assets/assetdb/asb-2025.pdf">300 billion barrels of proven reserves</a>, the largest in the world.
But Venezuela’s oil is not an easy prize. Most of it is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/05/venezuelan-crude-oil-appeals-to-us-refineries">heavy or extra-heavy crude</a> — dense, sulfur-rich, and costly to extract, transport, and refine. <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/what-it-takes-to-revive-venezuelas-oil-and-gas-industry/">Oil production has fallen</a> from roughly 3.2 million barrels per day in 2000 to about 1 million today, and <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-big-oil-has-a-long-road-ahead-in-venezuela-the-fallen-angel-of-global-crude-markets-192628377.html">experts agree</a> that rebuilding lost capacity will take years of sustained investment and technical rehabilitation.
Reviving the sector will require tens of billions of dollars in <a href="https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/increasing-venezuelas-oil-output-will-take-several-years-and-billions-dollars">long-term investment</a>. But American companies will not make multi-billion-dollar investments based on speeches, personalities, or election cycles. They will invest if they believe the rules of the game will endure. In this sense, Venezuela’s recovery is inseparable from free-market reform and the rule of law.
This is why the transition underway is about far more than replacing one leader with another. It is about replacing an economic model. Venezuela’s oil sector — and its broader economy — cannot recover without sustained private investment, and sustained private investment requires credible commitment to free-market capitalism, property rights, and the rule of law. Anything less signals instability and thus keeps capital on the sidelines.
Incentives are aligned in a rare and encouraging way. American companies want stability, predictability, and enforceable contracts. Venezuelans want lasting freedom, prosperity, and insulation from the return of authoritarian socialism. Both depend on the same outcome: a durable shift away from state control and toward a market-based system that cannot be easily undone. The more Venezuela commits to capitalism, the safer long-term investment becomes. And the more capital flows in, the harder it becomes for any future government to reverse course without catastrophic cost.
That alignment matters. It creates a feedback loop in which economic openness reinforces political durability, and political durability reinforces economic confidence. This — not ideology, not personality, and not short-term geopolitics — is the most important driver of Venezuela’s future.
Venezuela’s trajectory depends on balancing three forces: military power, political legitimacy, and market-driven recovery. Mismanaging any one of them risks collapse. The United States and its allies must avoid the temptation to pursue oil while tolerating authoritarian continuity. That path would only produce a new class of kleptocrats.
Done correctly, however, this moment offers a rare alignment of interests. Venezuelans want dignity and self-government. Investors want stability and lawful capitalism. And the United States has an opportunity to support a transition that is neither naïve nor imperial, but grounded in realism.
The door is open. What comes next will decide whether hope can walk through it and materialize as the liberty and prosperity millions of Venezuelans, like myself, have been praying, yearning, and working for decades.
Olga Benacerraf de Strulovic is a J.D. Candidate at the University of Chicago Law School. She was born and raised in Venezuela&#8217;s capital city of Caracas, and was one of many Venezuelans who fled the country during Nicolás Maduro&#8217;s rule. 
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Caracas

With Maduro Gone, Will Venezuelans Choose Freedom?

maria corina machado

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

The U.S. military seized another Venezuelan-linked oil tanker in the Caribbean early Thursday morning, as federal authorities intensified enforcement against sanctioned vessels tied to the Maduro regime. 
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn raid of the motor tanker Veronica, the sixth sanctioned vessel seized by the Coast Guard in recent weeks. The operation went smoothly, and the ship was seized without incident, Noem said. 
“As another sanctioned ghost fleet tanker, Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” Noem posted on X, sharing footage of the operation. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Early this morning, a Coast Guard tactical team conducted a pre-dawn boarding and seizure of Motor Tanker Veronica in the Caribbean. As another sanctioned ghost fleet tanker, Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of… <a href="https://t.co/MyWyQGH1h0">pic.twitter.com/MyWyQGH1h0</a>
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2011803374807547909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“As we’ve now demonstrated through multiple boardings, there is no outrunning or escaping American justice — period. Our resolve is unshakeable and our mission coordination has never been better. America&#8217;s Coast Guard remains Always Ready to apply the full force of its unique authorities and specialized capabilities against this threat anywhere, anytime,” she added. 
U.S. Southern Command <a href="https://x.com/Southcom/status/2011798070816612578">said</a> that Marines and sailors assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Spear took part in the seizure after launching from the USS Gerald R. Ford. The task force is focused on disrupting drug trafficking and other illegal activities in the Western Hemisphere. 
“The Veronica is the latest tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean, proving the effectiveness of Operation Southern Spear yet again,” Southern Command said. “The only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.”
Trump has promised that American companies will invest billions to rebuild Venezuelan oil fields. 
Last week, the Coast Guard seized a tanker flying a Russian flag that had previously bypassed an American blockade. The ship, the Marinera, had been on the run for two weeks and was set to be escorted by a Russian submarine and warships. 
The operation came a few hours ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. The meeting is expected to focus on Venezuela’s future following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. Trump has said he doesn’t expect Machado to have enough support to become Venezuela’s next leader.

MixCollage-15-Jan-2026-11-15-AM-4169

Another Venezuelan-Linked Oil Tanker Seized As U.S. Enforces Trump Blockade

Coast Guard

Department of Homeland Security

Kristi Noem

Marines

President Donald Trump said on Sunday night that he is leaning toward keeping Exxon Mobil, the largest oil company in the United States, out of his plans for Venezuela oil after the company&#8217;s CEO told a White House roundtable that the country is &#8220;uninvestable.&#8221;
Trump met with leaders of multiple oil companies at the White House on Friday to discuss the administration&#8217;s $100 billion plan to rebuild Venezuela&#8217;s oil market. Executives from Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Marathon, and Valero were also in attendance at the roundtable and, for the most part, expressed enthusiasm about opportunities in Venezuela, which will be under U.S. oversight following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Exxon CEO Darren Woods, however, expressed some caution about restarting operations in Venezuela, saying that &#8220;significant changes&#8221; are needed in the country&#8217;s infrastructure.
&#8220;We have had our assets seized there twice and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes from what we&#8217;ve historically seen and what is currently the state,&#8221; Woods said. &#8220;Today it&#8217;s uninvestable.&#8221;
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump <a href="https://x.com/sentdefender/status/2010534645700362646">expressed</a> displeasure with Exxon.
&#8220;You know, we have so many that wanted [to be involved] – I’d probably be inclined to keep Exxon out. I didn’t like their response. They’re playing too cute.”
Woods argued that Venezuela would need to change its regulatory and legal frameworks while guaranteeing the protection of foreign capital. He added that Exxon was prepared to send a team to the country to assess the condition of Venezuela&#8217;s oil infrastructure. Asked by Trump how long it would take Exxon Mobil to get started in Venezuela, he replied, &#8220;We can hit the ground in the next couple of weeks.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s what we want,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We want speed and quality.&#8221;
Trump also promised security guarantees for the oil companies that go into Venezuela. Exxon was forced out of the country in 2007 when former socialist dictator Hugo Chávez required foreign companies to hand over control of their companies to a state-owned oil company.
Exxon said it was forced to leave behind about $20 billion in assets after the nationalization of the oil industry in Venezuela. An international arbitration court ordered Venezuela to pay Exxon approximately $1.6 billion in 2014, but the socialist government has disputed that ruling, and Exxon has yet to receive payment, the Houston Chronicle <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/houston-oil-debts-venezuela-exxon-conocophillips-21283752.php">reported</a>.
Exxon is not the only U.S. oil company to lose billions of dollars after being forced out of Venezuela. Citgo also estimates that the Venezuelan government is holding around $20 billion in its assets, and ConocoPhillips says it was forced to leave $12 billion in the country and is still owed around $10 billion by the Venezuelan government.
Chevron was the only American oil company to continue operating in Venezuela after the government nationalized the oil industry, but it was forced to relinquish control of many of its assets.
Trump said during the roundtable that his administration is not seeking to recover lost assets in Venezuela.
&#8220;We’re not going to look at what people lost in the past, because that was their fault. That was a different president. You’re going to make a lot of money, but we’re not going to go back,&#8221; he said.
The president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-predicts-quick-but-expensive-venezuela-oil-rebuild-we-have-to-nurse-the-country-back">believes</a> the United States can rebuild Venezuela&#8217;s oil industry in less than two years, provided &#8220;very large&#8221; American companies invest in the project.
&#8220;A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue,&#8221; he said last week.

Donald Trump

Trump Threatens To Shut U.S. Oil Giant Out Of Venezuela Plans After CEO Calls Country ‘Uninvestable’

President Donald Trump said Friday that he had canceled a &#8220;previously expected&#8221; second wave of attacks targeting Venezuela, citing what he described as signs of cooperation from the country&#8217;s leadership. 
Trump said Venezuela is &#8220;releasing large numbers of political prisoners,&#8221; calling the move a gesture of goodwill toward the United States. He had previously declined to rule out follow-up strikes after American forces captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“Venezuela is releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of ‘Seeking Peace.’ This is a very important and smart gesture. The U.S.A. and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115864395969123502">wrote</a> in an early morning Truth Social post. “Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes.”
The prisoners freed by Venezuela <a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-political-prisoners-garcia-peace-us-fe90dc9364dc50ffee47569f7190940c">reportedly</a> included political figures who opposed Maduro, activists, and journalists. Political figures released included Biagio Pilieri, who worked on the presidential campaign of María Corina Machado, and Enrique Márquez, a 2024 presidential candidate. 
“Consider this a gesture by the Bolivarian [Venezuelan] government, which is broadly intended to seek peace,” said Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan National Assembly. 
Trump added that American energy companies are expected to invest at least $100 billion to help rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry and that executives from U.S. oil firms would meet with him at the White House on Friday. 
A White House official told The Daily Wire that the meeting would take place at 2:30 local time and include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. 
“Following the announcement of President Trump’s historic energy deal with Venezuela, American oil companies will come to the White House to discuss investment opportunities that will restore Venezuelan oil infrastructure,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers. “The American people, energy companies, and the Venezuelan people will all greatly benefit from these new, unprecedented investments in Venezuela’s oil infrastructure thanks to President Trump.”
More than a dozen companies will attend the meeting, including representatives from Chevron, Exxon, ConocoPhillips, Valero, Marathon, and Shell. Trump has said that American companies may be reimbursed by the government for their investments in Venezuela or earn revenue from oil production.

TOPSHOT-US-VENEZUELA-CONFLICT-TRUMP

Trump Cancels ‘Second Wave Of Attacks’ As Venezuela Frees Political Prisoners

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that under a new deal with the United States, Venezuela will be allowed to spend oil revenue only on American-made products. 
Trump’s announcement comes as his administration plans to control the Venezuelan oil industry with the help of American companies. On Wednesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-to-control-venezuelan-oil-sales-as-leverage-for-change-energy-secretary-says?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=U.S.+To+Control+Venezuelan+Oil+Sales+As+%E2%80%98Leverage%E2%80%99+For+%E2%80%98Change%2C%E2%80%99+Energy+Secretary+Says">said</a> the United States would sell Venezuelan crude “into the marketplace” and use the revenue as “leverage” to push the Venezuelan government toward lasting “change.”
“I have just been informed that Venezuela is going to be purchasing ONLY American Made Products, with the money they receive from our new Oil Deal. These purchases will include, among other things, American Agricultural Products, and American Made Medicines, Medical Devices, and Equipment to improve Venezuela’s Electric Grid and Energy Facilities,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115856078669121098">posted</a> on Truth Social. “In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner – A wise choice, and a very good thing for the people of Venezuela, and the United States.”
The comments came a day after Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-venezuela-will-turn-over-30-50-million-barrels-of-oil-to-u-s?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Venezuela+Will+Turn+Over+30–50+Million+Barrels+Of+Oil+To+U.S.">said</a> he would take control of Venezuela’s oil industry and announced that Venezuela would turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States. It is estimated that Venezuela controls about 17% of the world’s oil reserves. 
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump said. 
Under Trump’s plan, American oil companies would invest billions to repair Venezuela’s oil fields and ramp up production. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-predicts-quick-but-expensive-venezuela-oil-rebuild-we-have-to-nurse-the-country-back?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Predicts+Quick%2C+But+Expensive+Venezuela+Oil+Rebuild%3A+‘We+Have+To+Nurse+The+Country+Back’">said</a> this process could take about 18 months and that the companies may be reimbursed by the American government. 
Once production resumes, Wright said that the oil would be sold to buyers in the United States and around the world, with the revenue deposited into “accounts controlled by the U.S.”
“If we control the flow of oil, the sales of that oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage,” he said. “But without large leverage … you don’t get change.”
Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-interview-venezuela.html">told</a> The New York Times on Wednesday that a portion of the oil revenue would be directed back to Venezuela. 
“We will rebuild it in a very profitable way,” Trump said. “We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-GOP

Trump Leverages Oil Deal To Make Venezuela Buy American

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright expanded on President Donald Trump&#8217;s plan to control Venezuelan oil on Wednesday, saying the United States would soon begin selling Venezuelan crude &#8220;into the marketplace&#8221; and use the sales as &#8220;leverage&#8221; to push the Venezuelan government toward lasting &#8220;change.&#8221;
Wright addressed the situation in Venezuela at the annual Goldman Sachs energy conference in Miami, saying the Trump administration&#8217;s goal is to get Venezuelan crude &#8220;moving again and sell it.&#8221; The U.S.-controlled oil would be sold to buyers in the United States and around the world, with the revenue &#8220;deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S.,&#8221; according to Wright.
&#8220;If we control the flow of oil, the sales of that oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But without large leverage &#8230; you don&#8217;t get change.&#8221;
&#8220;This should be a wealthy, prosperous, peaceful energy powerhouse,&#8221; Wright said of Venezuela. &#8220;That&#8217;s the plan.&#8221;
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-venezuela-will-turn-over-30-50-million-barrels-of-oil-to-u-s">said</a> on Tuesday that Venezuela would turn over 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States following the U.S. strikes on the country and the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately.”
Wright, a former oil and gas CEO, said Wednesday that Venezuela&#8217;s oil infrastructure is in poor condition, adding that he&#8217;s been speaking to the leaders of energy companies about how it could be improved.
&#8220;The history is bad, but what are the necessary conditions it would take you to kind of help nudge things along?&#8221; Wright said he asked of the energy companies. &#8220;What are the necessary conditions it would take you to put billions of dollars in to develop fields and build infrastructure?&#8221;
The United States continues enforcing a naval blockade around Venezuela, blocking sanctioned tankers from transporting oil to other countries. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had evaded the blockade after being linked to Venezuelan oil shipments, officials said.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-united-states-strikes-venezuela-captures-president-maduro?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+U.S.+Military+Seizes+Sanctioned+Oil+Tanker+Sailing+Under+Russian+Flag">LIVE UPDATES: U.S. Military Seizes Sanctioned Oil Tanker Sailing Under Russian Flag</a>
Venezuela&#8217;s oil production dropped significantly after the country was taken over by socialist dictators. At its peak in the 1970s, Venezuela produced about 3.5 million barrels per day, but as of last year, it had plunged to roughly 1.1 million barrels per day, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-wants-venezuelan-oil-flowing-again-with-revenues-us-accounts-wright-says-2026-01-07/">reported</a>.
&#8220;We could get several hundred thousand barrels a day of additional production in short to medium term if the conditions are there for just small capital deployments,&#8221; Wright said. He added that it will &#8220;take tens of billions of dollars and significant time&#8221; for the United States to return Venezuela to its &#8220;historical numbers&#8221; of crude output, but said it would be worth the effort.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t we want a better world? A better world for Americans, a better world for Western Hemisphere, a better world for Venezuelans?&#8221; he asked.

Chris Wright

U.S. To Control Venezuelan Oil Sales As ‘Leverage’ For ‘Change,’ Energy Secretary Says

U.S. To Control Venezuelan Oil Sales As 'Leverage' For 'Change,' Energy Secretary Says

Department of Energy

Trump Administration

U.S.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Venezuela’s interim authorities will transfer between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States.
The move comes just days after Trump said the U.S. would take control of Venezuela and its oil following the capture of former dictator Nicolás Maduro on Saturday.
Trump described the oil as “high quality” and said it would be delivered immediately to U.S. ports on storage ships.
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115850817778602689">Trump posted</a>. “I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately.”
The Venezuelan shipment is enough to supply the United States for roughly one and a half to two and a half days, based on America’s <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/data-and-statistics.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com">daily consumption</a> of about 20 million barrels.
Venezuela currently produces only 900,000 to 1.1 million barrels per day, according to <a href="https://en.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/economy/petroleum/Venezuela-records-a-sustained-increase-in-oil-production/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Venezuelan media</a>, marking a sharp drop from the roughly 3 million barrels a day <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/06/25/Venezuela-Cardon-refinery-blackout/8741750861108/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">it produced </a>before socialist Hugo Chávez took power in the late 1990s.
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, who was sworn in on Monday, initially took a harsh approach to Trump capturing her predecessor, but has since become more conciliatory.
On Sunday, Rodriguez <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DTHIbhkjPSf/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1">called for</a> “moving towards balanced and respectful international relations between the United States and Venezuela.”
&#8220;We invite the U.S. government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” she added. “President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.”
<div id="attachment_1022973" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1022973" class="size-large wp-image-1022973" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Venezuela&#8217;s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez speaks during a press conference in Caracas on September 8, 2025. (Photo by FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Rodríguez, 56, has been such a loyal and unflinching defender of Maduro’s socialist government that the former dictator once <a href="https://archive.is/o/7vljo/https://www.reuters.com/article/world/venezuelas-tiger-foreign-minister-rodriguez-quits-idUSKBN19D037/">called her</a> a “tiger.”
She is the daughter of left‑wing guerrilla leader Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, who helped found the Liga Socialista party in the 1970s. An attorney by training, Rodríguez has held several of the most powerful posts in Venezuela’s government, including Minister of Petroleum, President of the Constituent Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Popular Power for Communication and Information, in addition to serving as vice president.
In 2018, she was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the European Union for her role in Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle and for undermining democracy. She responded by blasting the measures as the product of “racist” and “warmongering” policies of the “old imperial world,” the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-b9dacdedc04c462b8966e756bbb7ff66">reported at the time</a>.
Rodriguez was named vice president in 2018 by Maduro, who <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/who-is-delcy-rodriguez-vice-president-who-could-replace-venezuelas-maduro-2026-01-03/">described</a> her as “a young woman, brave, seasoned, daughter of a martyr, revolutionary and tested in a thousand battles.”
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/nobel-peace-prize-recipient-machado-pledges-return-venezuela-sees-alarming-internal-crackdown">told</a> Fox News that Rodríguez is as dangerous as Maduro.
“Delcy Rodriguez, as you know, is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco trafficking,” Machado said. “She’s the main ally and liaison with Russia, China, Iran, certainly not an individual that could be trusted by international investors. And she’s really rejected, repudiated by the Venezuelan people.”
Despite the gesture from leaders, plain-clothes gunmen tied to the pro-Maduro “Colectivos” paramilitary group were deployed to Venezuela&#8217;s streets on Tuesday where they stopped vehicles to search phones and belongings looking for supporters of the United States capturing Maduro.
Police were also reportedly instructed to “search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States.”

Republican National Convention: Day Four

Trump Says Venezuela Will Turn Over 30–50 Million Barrels Of Oil To U.S.

Delcy Rodriguez

Global Politics

World

President Donald Trump said the United States could get Venezuela’s oil industry back on track in less than 18 months, but that rebuilding the heavily degraded infrastructure would require significant investment. 
Trump said “very large” American oil companies would invest billions of dollars to repair the country’s oil fields, adding in a Monday interview with NBC News that the U.S. government could reimburse companies. He said the process could be completed in less than a year and a half. 
&#8220;I think we can do it in less time than that, but it&#8217;ll be a lot of money,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-us-not-war-venezuela-rcna252427">said</a>. &#8220;A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.&#8221;
After announcing the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, Trump said the country&#8217;s oil industry had been a “bust,” producing only a fraction of its potential output. 
Trump has not specified which oil companies would invest, but said he has spoken to several that are interested. He said that restoring oil production in Venezuela would benefit Americans by lowering energy costs. 
While Venezuelan oil production once reached 3.5 million barrels per day, it drastically <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/06/world-news/venezuelas-oil-industry-is-in-shambles-after-decades-of-socialism/">declined </a>in 2007 after the industry was nationalized under former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. It is estimated that Venezuela’s oil reserves account for about 17% of the world’s supply, according to the New York Post. 
In the same interview with NBC, Trump said that there likely wouldn’t be an election in Venezuela in the next month. 
&#8220;We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No, it’s going to take a period of time. We have to nurse the country back to health.&#8221;
Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Vice President JD Vance would oversee his administration&#8217;s involvement in Venezuela.
Trump and senior administration officials said the United States is not at war with Venezuela.
&#8220;No, we’re not,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We’re at war with people that sell drugs. We’re at war with people that empty their prisons into our country and empty their drug addicts and empty their mental institutions into our country.&#8221;

President Trump Presents The Mexican Border Defense Medal At The White House

Trump Predicts Quick, But Expensive Venezuela Oil Rebuild: ‘We Have To Nurse The Country Back’

Over a dozen sanctioned oil tankers left port over the weekend in what appears to be an attempt to evade the U.S. blockade around Venezuela following the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, according to multiple reports.
At least 16 tankers disguised or hid their locations after leaving Venezuelan ports in the wake of U.S. forces capturing Maduro, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/world/americas/oil-tankers-venezuela-blockade.html">reported</a>. Four of the fleeing tankers appeared to leave Venezuela on Saturday, shortly after Maduro was detained by U.S. forces, and traveled north of Margarita Island, according to Reuters, which cited satellite images used by TankerTrackers.com.
Some of the tankers have used a tactic called &#8220;spoofing,&#8221; which means they use fake ship names and misrepresent their positions. Reuters reported that most of the supertankers that left port typically transport crude oil to China.
Four tankers that left port on Saturday were not authorized to do so, according to internal communications from Venezuela&#8217;s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, according to the Times. Reuters, however, cited a source with knowledge of the paperwork who said that Venezuelan authorities cleared at least four tankers to leave the country and hide their whereabouts.
A U.S. official did not confirm or deny reports of sanctioned oil tankers attempting to evade the blockade, telling The Daily Wire that the blockade remains in effect and is &#8220;focusing on sanctioned shadow vessels transporting sanctioned PDVSA oil.&#8221;
Twelve other sanctioned oil tankers that fled in recent days have yet to be spotted. The departures could challenge President Donald Trump&#8217;s massive blockade of sanctioned oil tankers, which went into effect on December 16.
Following the capture of Maduro on Saturday, Trump said that the blockade would remain in full force. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added on Sunday that the &#8220;quarantine&#8221; on Venezuelan oil would &#8220;remain in place.&#8221;
&#8220;That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met. And that’s what we intend to do. So that leverage remains, that leverage is ongoing, and we expect that it’s going to lead to results here. We’re &#8230; hopeful that it does – positive results for the people of Venezuela, but ultimately, most importantly, for us in the national interest of the United States,&#8221; Rubio said.
The United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-drops-video-showing-u-s-forces-swarming-oil-tanker-off-venezuelan-coast">seized</a> one sanctioned oil tanker used by Venezuela in December, and U.S. forces boarded another tanker around 10 days later. The oil tanker seized by the United States on December 10 was involved &#8220;in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,&#8221; according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump said that the United States would keep the oil the tanker was transporting.
The U.S. blockade was part of a military buildup in the Caribbean that ultimately led to the capture of Maduro over the weekend. After Maduro was in U.S. custody, President Trump said that the United States would take control of Venezuela until a peaceful transition of power could take place.

VENEZUELA-US-DIPLOMACY-CONFLICT-OIL

Sanctioned Oil Tankers Flee Venezuela In Dark Mode After Maduro’s Capture

After Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to clarify President Donald Trump&#8217;s Saturday comment that the United States would &#8220;run&#8221; Venezuela following the capture and extradition of Nicolás Maduro, the president reiterated his position Sunday.
“We&#8217;re dealing with the people. We&#8217;re dealing with the people that just got supported. And don&#8217;t ask me who&#8217;s in charge, because I&#8217;ll give you an answer, and it&#8217;ll be very controversial,” Trump told reporters on board Air Force One. “We&#8217;re in charge.”
Trump added that there would be elections in Venezuela “at the right time.” 
“We&#8217;re going to run it, fix it,” he said. “It&#8217;s a broken country. There&#8217;s no money. There&#8217;s inflation, like we would have had if I didn&#8217;t win this election, we would have been Venezuela on steroids.”
When asked whether he believed America was back in the business of nation-building, Trump said rebuilding the Venezuelan economy would be good for the country. 
“We’re in the business of having countries around us that are viable, successful and where the oil is allowed to freely come out, because that&#8217;s good, it gets the prices down. That&#8217;s good for our country,” Trump said. “This is Venezuela, our area, the ‘Donroe Doctrine,’” a play on words riffing on the Monroe Doctrine to describe his Trump-branded approach to American leadership in the Western Hemisphere. 
Trump said that he was inspired to take action against Maduro because of the drugs coming into the United States from Venezuela. Over the last few months, the War Department has conducted strikes on more than 30 boats suspected of running drugs, many of them coming from Venezuela. Trump said that drugs coming by sea into the United States were down 97%.
During his conversation with reporters, Trump called for Mexico to take more action to stop drug trafficking. 
“You have to do something with Mexico,” Trump said. “Mexico has to get their act together, because they&#8217;re pouring through Mexico, and we&#8217;re gonna have to do something. We&#8217;d love Mexico to do it. They&#8217;re capable of doing it. But unfortunately, the cartels are very strong in Mexico.”
Trump was also asked about Greenland and whether he had any plans to take control there. He said he wanted to focus on Ukraine and Venezuela for the next few months, but believed it was a strategically important country. 
“We need Greenland from a national security situation. It&#8217;s so strategic right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump said. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”

President Trump Returns To The  White House After Spending Holidays In Florida

Trump Says U.S. Is ‘In Charge’ Of Venezuela, Vows To ‘Run It, Fix It’

Drugs

Executive

Politics

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday clarified President Donald Trump&#8217;s claim that the United States will &#8220;run&#8221; Venezuela, stressing that it will not involve seizing control of the government or deploying American troops.
Rubio spoke with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos on &#8220;This Week,&#8221; where he clarified some of the statements Trump made after Saturday&#8217;s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro — in particular his claim that the United States would &#8220;run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sec. Rubio on how the U.S. is currently operating in Venezuela: “The armada of boats that are currently positioned allow us to seize any sanctioned boats coming into or out of Venezuela, loaded with oil or on its way in to pick up oil, and we can pick and choose which ones we go… <a href="https://t.co/TSAhCujoi6">pic.twitter.com/TSAhCujoi6</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2007830366388682785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So is the United States running Venezuela right now?&#8221; Stephanopoulos asked.
&#8220;What we are running is the direction that this is going to move moving forward,&#8221; Rubio replied. &#8220;We have leverage. This leverage we are using — and we intend to use, and we have started using already.&#8221;
&#8220;The armada of boats that are currently positioned allow us to seize any sanctioned boats coming into or out of Venezuela, loaded with oil or on its way in to pick up oil, and we can pick and choose which ones we go after. We have court orders for each one,&#8221; he added.
While Rubio <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/04/rubio-explains-how-us-might-run-venezuela-after-maduros-ouster-.html">assured Stephanopoulos</a> that the United States would keep all options on the table — including additional military action, should the Trump administration deem it necessary — he said that the goal was to bring Venezuela around using sanctions and the leverage that came with them.
&#8220;What’s going to happen here is we have a quarantine on their oil. That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met, and that’s what we intend to do,” Rubio explained. “That leverage remains, that leverage is ongoing and we expect that it’s going to lead to results here.&#8221;
Rubio made a similar statement on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; telling host Kristen Welker that the United States was using leverage to effect policy changes, not taking control of the nation&#8217;s government.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> on &#8220;running&#8221; Venezuela: &#8220;It&#8217;s running POLICY&#8230; We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because not only do we think it&#8217;s good for the people of Venezuela, it&#8217;s in our national interest.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Y3oA2YNiar">pic.twitter.com/Y3oA2YNiar</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2007821006161817788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It&#8217;s running POLICY,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because not only do we think it&#8217;s good for the people of Venezuela, it&#8217;s in our national interest.&#8221;

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies on the 2026 Budget In House Hearing

‘It’s About Policy’: Rubio Says Plans To ‘Run’ Venezuela Don’t Include U.S. Government Control

'It's About Policy': Rubio Says Plans To 'Run' Venezuela Don't Include Direct Government Control

Marco Rubio

Sanctions

The Trump administration moved more troops and military assets into the South Caribbean this week as the president continues to ratchet up pressure on Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The U.S. military moved a large number of special operations aircraft, soldiers, and more equipment into the area this week, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-moves-troops-and-additional-special-operations-aircraft-into-caribbean-bb8167c6?mod=hp_lead_pos1">The Wall Street Journal</a>. The deployment comes as the United States has begun to seize oil tankers known for transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
In a press conference on Monday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-maduro-against-playing-tough-itll-be-the-last-time">warned</a> Maduro against playing “tough” with the U.S. military.
“He can do whatever he wants. We have a massive armada formed, the biggest we’ve ever had – by far the biggest we’ve ever had in South America. He could do whatever he wants. It’s alright. Whatever he wants to do, if he wants to do something. If he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough,” said Trump.
At least 10 CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and a C-17 cargo plane flew from the United States to the South Caribbean on Monday, according to WSJ. The aircraft carried troops and other equipment.
Maduro has accused the Trump administration of pursuing colonialism in South America and of violating international law. U.S. military operations against drug trafficking began in international waters off the coast of Venezuela over the summer and have resulted in dozens of drug boats being sunk by U.S. missiles.
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During his first term, Trump called on Maduro to step down as Venezuela’s leader. Trump has increased pressure in the first year of his second term, raising a bounty on Maduro to $50 million and approving CIA operations in Venezuela targeting the dictator.
The United States has seized at least two sanctioned oil tankers in recent weeks and pursued a third, according to reports. The president said on Monday that the United States would keep the oil and potentially add it to “the strategic reserves.”
The decision to target Venezuela’s international oil business marks a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Maduro. Oil is the foundation of Venezuela’s economy and accounts for much of the money used to maintain Maduro’s regime.

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